Scubby

triple his salary. Wigan are probably paying him 50k tops.

With no parachute payment in 2023 that really is #### or bust

Yes Derek has found a loophole and may continue loading the team with short term overseas signings to get promotion - full on #### or bust (or calculated risk taking whatever you want to call it). But the team will have to be dismantled to actually play in SL in 2023 and may be a lot weaker for it. Again, I'm sure he has a plan - at the moment it seems to be get inside the tent at all costs as you say. Fair play to him, it's his investment.

Without the switching option, Ireland and Scotland would essentially be pub teams. We can't have it both ways. It is a necessary evil sadly

I don't disagree with the policy Harry. Leigh are doing what they can to get up. But it is pretty ridiculous that the Championship and League 1 (which is arguably the development part of our pro game) has left itself so open to abuse.

He is a great signing. But to pretend he is British is a bit far fetched.

People can correct me, but I don't think Leigh would be able to field the teams they are currently putting out in SL due to the number of overseas players? I believe there in no restriction on overseas players in the Championship. Therefore both Leigh and Featherstone could field 1-17 overseas players in the Championship GF. Both clubs are sticking within the rules. Well, the rules that don't exist.

The only reason people are switching is because they are scared of not being selected to play Origin if they pledge their allegiance to a country other than Australia. Jerome Luai is as passionate a Samoan player as there is but has felt he had to keep his mouth shut during Origin to get selected. Same with Api Koroisau and Fiji (16 tests). It is not switching it is just stupid. The game has a bigger opportunity with 5/6 hugely competitive nations than forcing the Origin/Australian line by stealth.

Another overseas player and another Leigh player thrown on the sidings

David, you genuinely haven't got anything better on today because Toppy is in for the long haul on this!

I lived in Durham for a couple of years at that time and was a Gateshead season ticket holder and did corporate a bit. Spoke to Shane Richardson a few times and this was confirmed by him to me in a conversation pre season about how tough the challenge was. It was quite informal in those early days. It was also confirmed all over the press when they joined SL and when Gateshead linked up with Hull in 2000. He basically took a risk and that was the best offer SL gave them to let Gateshead in. Ultimately it was their downfall as they were not wealthy (Richardson and Hetherington) and they simply ran out of cash.

You do understand that in 1999 Super League gave Gateshead entry on 50% of the central distribution of the rest of the other top flight clubs. Sound familiar?

Boom boom!

Now this is a story all about how My life got flipped turned upside down...

I am fearful of some half way line seats being unsold for high profile WC games. That would be very disappointing and so unnecessary

You are not the first person to say this about RL events. I'm not 100% sure on the strategy but it would be interesting to trial it at one event to see how it went.

Exactly what I will be doing. I will back my chances to pick up the tickets I want a couple of weeks out from the tournament. I think there's a fair chance they will be discounted tickets but, if not, what have I missed out on because the strategy isn't driving me to think I miss out. Back at the old Wembley I believe the best seats used to sell out first. That seems to happen in other sports too. We either don't have that demographic any longer or the ability to create that scarcity.

Is this another cost cutting exercise? You were able to choose seats for both the Challenge Cup final, 2021 GF and England game. They have moved down from Enterprise to Pro on the Ticket Provider subscription

I have a code but the seats are advertised as 15 stone maximum. Sorry.

Yes, a kind of Sculthorpe, Farrell situation. You would do anything to get them both in the team not belittle one over the other.

Leigh are ready for SL - sorry didn't see them in the list. Calm yourself H! Derek is taking a huge risk financially but, realistic, for them to survive next year they need a squad ready to go now. Luckily for them the team has gelled and will reap the benefits next year if they don't slip up! If they do, it could be carnage.

None of the teams, except Fev, are anywhere near SL. That's because no one is going to go and play on a full time contract for 9 months before getting binned back to the Championship or even cut. In Fev's case, time will tell what impact the #### or bust assault on promotion will have in terms of stability of the club.

All this #### is moving deck chairs on the Titanic. Relegation from full time to part time is toxic and stunts growth. We are living like we are in 1986 - the game was #### or bust back then. The money only comes from the top and stability and growth. If Fev don't get promoted and Wakefield go down you will have one city that had 30+ full time players in September down to a handful a few months later. That is 30 full time players out of the game here and not replaced.

Catalans and Toulouse are already in Elite 1

2-3 years ago Radley was better, but Knowles over the last couple of years has grown into a world class player. More to come from him too.